En route to Toronto

A Saudi woman who fled her family, claiming fear for her life, and used social media to amplify her calls for safe haven was granted asylum by Canada on Friday, an official in Thailand said.

The decision to give haven to the 18-year-old Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun capped a nearly week-long drama that highlighted the power of social media to call attention to her case and reverse initial plans by Thai officials to deport her to Kuwait, where she fled her family while on holiday.

With all its enormous flaws…Twitter can do that. It can put people in danger, and it can save people who are in danger.

The Post notes with surprise that Saudi Arabia is very harsh on women.

She was admitted to Thailand on Monday while the U.N. refu­gee agency processed her request. Several countries, including Australia, had said they could welcome Alqunun as a refu­gee. But she expressed a preference for Canada.

“The story ends today,” said the head of Thailand’s immigration bureau, Surachate Hakparn. “Ms. Rahaf is going to Canada as she wishes.”

Did Australia say that? I thought it was reported that neither Australia nor Canada had officially committed to giving her refugee status – that officials of both countries had said that. That’s why it’s been rather tense.

He said Alqunun left Thailand on a flight en route to Toronto. She was in good health and spirits, he said, and had a “smiling face.”

The U.N. refugee agency coordinated with Canadian authorities to resettle her there, and she will be in the care of the International Organization for Migration once she arrives, he added.

Her father and brother tried to meet with her but she said no thanks.

Alqunun deactivated her Twitter account Friday. Multiple supporters, including journalist Sophie McNeill, who has been in contact with Alqunun during her ordeal, said on Twitter that she was fine but had received death threats.

Why? Because god hates women.

Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia division, tweeted: “Rahaf temporarily suspended her #Twitter account because she has been receiving some very nasty, very real death threats. Not sure when she will resume.” He called on Twitter to shut down those accounts.